Notes on a Scorecard - May 26, 1993

So much for the notion that the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lack the firepower of the Kings, couldn’t come from behind to win in this series. . . .

There’s nothing more nerve-racking than watching sudden-death overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs. . . .

Don’t give up on the Kings because they never give up on themselves. . . .

Charles Barkley was the correct choice as NBA most valuable player, but I have a gripe about the balloting. It is conducted before the most important part of the season, the playoffs. . . .

Looking for alternatives to the draft lottery? . . .

There used to be something in the NFL known as the bonus pick. It was the first pick in the draft and was rotated among the teams. When there were 12 teams in the league, each got the bonus pick once every 12 years, regardless of where it finished in the standings. . . .

The NBA had a territorial pick rule from 1947 until 1965. Each team could select someone who played college ball in its area, but would have to forfeit its regular first-round pick. The Lakers landed former UCLA guards Walt Hazzard and Gail Goodrich that way. . . .

Every time I see Dodger reliever Pedro Martinez, I like him better. He showed uncommon poise for a rookie Monday night against the San Diego Padres when he struck out Gary Sheffield on three fastballs with the tying run on second base in the seventh inning after falling behind in the count, 3-0. . . .

On the same night, Eric Karros came within a few feet of becoming the first Dodger to hit three home runs in a game at Dodger Stadium. . . .

Don Demeter hit three for the Dodgers in a game at the Coliseum in 1959. . . .

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The day he fired Tony Perez, Cincinnati General Manager Jim Bowden was quoted in USA Today as saying, “I support (Tony) Perez, he’s my manager.” . . .

Showing a lot more integrity than Bowden was Ron Oester, the Reds’ coach who resigned in protest of Perez’s firing. . . . Of the Dodgers’ 75 games after the All-Star break, 44 are at home. . . .

Major league executives who paid attention to the polls that indicate fans want more playoff games should do the same to the polls that indicate fans are against the proposed television contract. . . .

How long can the San Francisco Giants’ lightly regarded pitching staff continue its good work? The move of Trevor Wilson to the disabled list won’t help. . . .

Vin Scully will receive the Richstone Family Center gold medal at a dinner June 8 at the Beverly Hilton. Proceeds from the event will help to build a child-abuse treatment center in Hawthorne. . . .

It seems to me that Jose Canseco of the Texas Rangers was in the news a lot more when he was Jose Canseco of the Oakland Athletics. . . .

Now that Deion Sanders has decided to become a full-season baseball player, the Atlanta Braves could save themselves a lot of aggravation by trading Otis Nixon. . . .

The new Rancho Cucamonga franchise in the Class-A California League will draw more fans than the Los Angeles Angels or Hollywood Stars did during many of their seasons in the triple-A Pacific Coast League. . . .

Despite the speed-up edicts from the league offices, umpires still allow batters to call time out and step away from the plate too often. . . .

What is it about first-round draft choices from USC and the Chicago Bears? Curtis Conway became only the second first-round pick in this year’s draft to sign Monday and Mark Carrier reportedly agreed to terms with the Bears even before he was drafted three years ago. . . .

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It’s a cinch that the preseason National Invitation Tournament field, which includes North Carolina, Kansas, Cincinnati and California, will be far more imposing than the postseason NIT field. . . .

The next great American hurdler could be Mark Crear, the former NCAA champion from USC who has the world’s best clocking of 13.31 for the 110 meters this year. . . .

Thumbs up to UCLA field event coach Art Venegas, whose men’s and women’s shotputters finished first, second, third and fifth in the Pacific 10 Conference meet. . . .

If you think this is a young people’s world, consider that Anthony Young of the New York Mets and Matt Young of the Cleveland Indians have a combined 31 consecutive defeats.